Comparison of Conventional Color Doppler With Power Doppler Sonograhy to Depict Normal Prostatic Vasculature

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Abstract
Transrectal sonograms of the prostates of 30 healthy men were performed using conventional gray-scale sonography, color Doppler sonography (CDS), and power Doppler sonography (PDS). Representative images were recorded at each of six defined anatomical zones. Images were characterized independently by two reviewers for the degree of capsular and parenchymal vascularity, using semiquantitative scales. Color Doppler sonography showed complete capsular flow in only 3 (10%), sparse capsular flow in 18 (60%), and no capsular flow in 9 (30%) of the 30 subjects. In contrast, PDS showed complete capsular flow in 20 (67%), sparse capsular flow in 10 (33%), and no capsular flow in 0 of the 30 subjects (chi square = 23.85, df = 2, P < 0.0901). These findings suggested that PDS was more sensitive than CDS for demonstrating capsular blood flow. Although both techniques showed parenchymal flow in all subjects, PDS showed more radiating and penetrating parenchymal vessels than CDS. Color Doppler sonography showed short segments of vessels in 20 (67%) of the 30 subjects and complete linear vessels in the remaining 10 subjects (33%). In contrast, PDS showed short segments of vessels in 11 (37%) and complete linear vessels in 19 (63%) of the 30 subjects (chi square = 5.41, df = 1, P = 0.02). Subjectively, both reviewers also found that PDS demonstrated prostatic vasculature better than CDS. Power Doppler sonography proved superior to CDS to demonstrate normal prostatic vasculature.
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